Actor Timothy Busfield, renowned for his roles in “West Wing” and “Field of Dreams,” has been formally charged by a grand jury with four counts of criminal sexual contact involving a child under 13 years old, as per an announcement made by a New Mexico prosecutor on Friday. These accusations stem from Busfield’s tenure as a director on the TV series “The Cleaning Lady” from 2022 to 2024. Busfield has vehemently refuted the allegations, which were initially brought to court by law enforcement. His defense attorney assured on Friday that he will vigorously contest the charges at every legal juncture.
The indictment was revealed by Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman through a social media post. Busfield voluntarily surrendered to authorities in January in relation to charges brought by the police, and he was subsequently released from custody by a judge who found no past criminal behavior or similar allegations involving children in Busfield’s history. The grand jury indictment enables the legal case against Busfield to advance towards a potential trial without a preliminary evidentiary hearing.
Larry Stein, representing Busfield, refrained from directly addressing the sexual contact charge in the indictment but mentioned that the grand jury did not support grooming charges sought by the prosecution. The specifics of the accusations presented to the grand jury by the prosecutors were not disclosed. Stein emphasized in a statement that flaws in the state’s evidence were exposed during a detention hearing, which cannot be rectified by charging decisions.
An investigator from the Albuquerque Police Department stated that a boy reported Busfield touched his private areas over his clothing when he was seven and eight years old, as detailed in the initial police report. The boy’s twin also reported being touched by Busfield but delayed reporting it out of fear of repercussions. The formal indictment filed in state District Court on Friday echoes the allegations of Busfield engaging in inappropriate touching of one of the boys on multiple occasions.
During a detention hearing, Busfield’s legal team pointed out inconsistencies in the children’s initial statements to the police, suggesting that parental influence may have prompted incriminating statements after the boys lost their roles on the show. Despite this defense, Assistant District Attorney Savannah Brandenburg-Koch emphasized the strength and specificity of the abuse evidence against Busfield, supported by medical findings and the boys’ therapist. She also cited witnesses expressing concerns about potential retaliation and professional repercussions.
Prosecutors have highlighted alleged grooming behavior and abuse of authority by Busfield spanning three decades. Each count in the indictment carries a potential prison term of six years, with the possibility of enhancement for sexual offenses, according to the prosecutors. When releasing Busfield on January 20, State District Court Judge David Murphy noted that while the crimes attributed to Busfield are inherently risky and involve minors, the prosecution failed to demonstrate that public safety would be compromised if he were released.
Timothy Busfield, married to actor Melissa Gilbert, is most recognized for his roles in “The West Wing,” “Field of Dreams,” and “Thirtysomething,” the latter of which earned him an Emmy for outstanding supporting actor in a drama series in 1991.